From the comfort of the present day the Golden Gate Bridge seems like an inevitability — as much a part of San Francisco’s geography as the bay it crosses. It was not always this way. In fact, building the Golden Gate Bridge was a herculean task, contending with the unprecedented difficulties of constructing over a strait that combined strong currents, high fog, and even seismic activity. That's not even to mention the dense forest of political red tape that had to be navigated through in order to complete the landmark.

In the early hours of April 18, 1906, a deadly 7.9 earthquake shook San Francisco. Combined with the fires it triggered, 2,300 acres (80% of the city) was destroyed with thousands dead and many more homeless. Public corruption and graft, already major problems, skyrocketed in this environment as political bosses and businessmen sought to take advantage of the devastation. It was O'Shaughnessy, appointed in 1912, who revitalized the city, most celebrated for the Hetch Hetchy reservoir that brought a new source of fresh water to the city. O'Shaughnessy, the West’s own Robert Moses, rebuilt San Francisco from its near destruction, but he still had greater plans for the California city.

O'Shaughnessy likely first met Strauss in 1915, at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. Strauss had fashioned some of his elevating bridge technology into an aeroscope amusement ride, a simple entertainment but one that showcased his engineering spirit.

Schooled at the University of Cincinnati, Strauss studied engineering but never obtained a proper degree or license in the field. Nevertheless, his projects speak for themselves. He revolutionized the bascule bridge design with a new pinion gear system that cut down on counterweight needed for the bridges to function. How and when exactly the two men met is unknown, but we do know they began collaborating soon after the exposition on the Peter R. Maloney Bridge.

For all his innovation, Strauss’s style was bluntly functional, reflected in the squat and ugly Maloney bridge. When O'Shaughnessy posed the challenge of a bridge spanning the mile-long Golden Gate strait, Strauss knew an innovative design would be needed for the project. The challenges were many.

The Golden Gate strait is a truly unique geological structure, carved by the eroding force of seven different rivers that deposit directly into the Pacific’s current. At its center, this strait is 335 deep and above the water one has to contend with billowing winds off the ocean. This was an architectural conundrum, requiring a bridge strong enough to be mounted in the bay properly, while flexible enough to deal with the wind, while situated near a major fault line.

Strauss’s idea was the marriage of two different bridge styles: suspension (supported by cables) and cantilever (supported by triangles of metal bars), but he eventually acquiesced to a simpler cable design. Beyond the bridge design itself, it was Strauss who was the main voice for the project, traveling up and down Northern California, lobbying for the project. It would take over a decade to garner enough support for the project, with concerns coming from the federal government, the Navy, and the owners of ferries between San Francisco and Marin County.

Though he was no gifted orator, (he was described by a Marin County mayor as “the world’s worst speaker") with the boldness of his ideas, along with America’s nascent car culture and the vast economic growth to be had, Strauss won over the support he needed. He became the public face of the bridge project, driving a wedge between him and O'Shaughnessy who had first begun the project.

The Golden Gate bridge consists of two types of metal ropes, the main support cables which move from tower to tower and the vertical suspenders that bind the bridge itself to main cables.

These cable wires are made up of a bundle of super strong, galvanized steel wire strands. In total, it's estimated there are over 80,000 miles of wire on the bridge, maintaining an incredible integrity against the winds of the San Francisco Bay.

While the main support cables can never be removed, the vertical suspenders are sometimes replaced for repair. This specimen is one of the Golden Gate Bridge's original 250 vertical suspender ropes which was replaced in the mid-70s. The process took four years and was a major feat of engineering. The state of California sold some of this material to help pay for the repairs.

For over 30 years, this piece was a crucial part of the architecture of the bridge and San Francisco itself. Check out the specimen below!